Johnny Thirteen

Eric Schuurman, 1985
Eric Schuurman, 1985

-For Brother John Halka

“Your destiny is determined by the roll of the dice.”

Johnny one, Johnny two, Johnny three, Johnny four.
Yea, he knows what a curse is for.
Johnny five, Johnny six, Johnny seven, Johnny eight.
Man’ll do anything when he’s desperate.
Johnny nine, Johnny ten, Johnny eleven, Johnny twelve.
Mouths to feed leave the manners on the shelf.

“Loving parents, they affect you much like clay.”

Yea, the future is seen:
Johnny Thirteen.
One sweet dream,
Johnny Thirteen.

“Genetics? Environment?”

Johnny one, Johnny two, Johnny three, Johnny four.
Man’s head echoes with the slamming of a door.
Johnny five, Johnny six, Johnny seven, Johnny eight.
Somewhere’s the horizon, but it’s gotta wait.
Johnny nine, Johnny ten, Johnny eleven, Johnny twelve.
Johnny’s taking time to get to know himself.

“Karma corrosion, little repetitive moral leaks.”

And the future is seen
by Johnny Thirteen.
It’s one sweet dream
to Johnny Thirteen.

Bridge

“Good family,
Loving parents,
Stable environment,
Nurture,
Moral hiccups,
Karma corrosion.
They affect you.”

Johnny one, Johnny two, Johnny three, Johnny four.
Now he wonders about what he’s got in store.
Johnny five, Johnny six, Johnny seven, Johnny eight.
Spend a lifetime paying for a luckless fate.
Johnny nine, Johnny ten, Johnny eleven, Johnny twelve.
Still, the man is true to God and self.

“It’s a coin-toss…
Doomed.”

And the future is seen
with Johnny Thirteen.
It’s one sweet dream
of Johnny Thirteen.

Yea, the future is seen

“I didn’t grow up”

for Johnny Thirteen

“Much like clay”

the one sweet dream

“I didn’t grow up”

of Johnny Thirteen.

“Doomed.”

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Author: eric@ericschuurman.com

Father, mechanical drafter, musician.